"The child is dead. There is nothing left to know. I hear there is a queen in the south who kills men who bring her bad news. So when I give word of the boy's death, do I write my own death with it? Truth eats lies just as the crocodile eats the moon, and … Continue reading Review: Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
Whether you face Feb 14th with feelings of horror, boredom, or excitement, Valentine's Day is one of those events that cannot be avoided. As soon as the Christmas lights are taken down, we're confronted with visions of stocky cherubs and uncomfortably artificial advertisements at almost every turn of the head. Since meeting my husband, I've … Continue reading 10 Unconventional Reads To Enjoy This Valentine’s Day (Whatever Your Relationship Status)
"When she reaches the road, Felicity understands her fate. He has not waited for her, and, as if the past were a tangible thing, she thinks she can still see the weak reddish glow of the car's taillights fading on the horizon. In the flat darkness of the countryside, there is only disappointment, a wedding … Continue reading Review: Mouthful of Birds by Samanta Schweblin
I'm no stranger to challenging weeks (or, let's face it, months). Since moving to the US, my life has undergone an overhaul that I certainly couldn't have anticipated when living as a fresh-faced and hopeful PhD student in the UK. While I figured that, by 30, I'd have a solid career, life plan, and the … Continue reading Monday Musing: How Bad Weeks Can Be A Book Worm’s Best Friend
As someone who has been reading for almost as long as I've been talking, it can be difficult for me to appreciate the direct but subtle ways in which fiction helps me to navigate the peaks and troughs of life. Only over recent years - and as a result of suffering from various kinds of … Continue reading Can Fiction Help You? An Introduction To Bibliotherapy
For as widely as I like to read, it's extremely rare that I decide to dip into a short story collection. Unless written by one of my favourite authors, I struggle when it comes to generating enthusiasm for short fiction. Yet, I'm well aware of the incredible skill that it takes to write short stories … Continue reading Monday Musing: The Subtle Magic Of Short Stories
"Oh, how different the world did look from that height. Imagine it: my whole life I had lived on that brutish island and never had I seen its edges, never had I seen the ocean in its vastness, the white breakers rolling in upon the beaches. Never had I seen the roads, with their tiny … Continue reading Review: Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Once the New Year's resolutions have been abandoned, January can be a relatively dull and static month for many of us. Fortunately, the literary world doesn't stop turning, even as we lock ourselves away in a state of semi-hibernation. If you're interested in what's been happening this January, you've come to the right place! I've … Continue reading The Monthly Reader: A Literary Roundup For January 2019
Is it just me or does January feel like it gets longer the closer we get to its end? Granted, I don't have a whole lot of tolerance for the winter months. In Missouri, this time of year is brutal and my English constitution is only just starting to adapt to the fact that 10 … Continue reading Monday Musing: The Art Of Shopping For Books In The Snow
"What will they make of us, the people of those unimaginably distant times? One thing I do know: they won't want the brutal reality of conquest and slavery. They won't want to be told about the massacres of men and boys, the enslavement of women and girls. They won't want to know we were living … Continue reading Review: The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
The Book Habit 